Rannoch
by AkAtSuKi-SaKuRa-ChAn
Summary: -Spoilers- set after taking back Rannoch. two Quarians enjoy their first time on their home world. Smooches, Huggles and a curious Geth. Fluff, Kal/tor, for the depressing lack of it out there. written to fill the Kal'Reegar shaped hole in Mass Effect 3.


The ships exits were packed with Quarian once Veetor had arrived. He felt his chest tighten and fear spiked in his belly.

He had changed a lot since Shepard and Tali rescued him on Freedoms Progress, he'd overcome most of his anxieties and wasn't prone to breakdowns, he'd become an extremely gifted engineer on the Talen-tae, a relatively small vessel in the migrant fleet but his fear of crowds never seemed to go away.

Veetor didn't quite believe that the Geth stood down and Rannoch was theirs when he'd heard it. The Talen-tae wasn't at the front of the battle or near that fighting so it all seemed like something happening far away.

His mind had often gone to Kal; he was down there, fighting on home soil. The concept of actually _having_ home soil left Veetor feeling baffled. The Talen-tae had been one of the last ships to land on Rannoch and most were a bit fearful of what it might bring.

Once the Talen-tae had landed, however, everyone was frantic to leave. To feel home soil beneath their feet, to feel the sun, the wind, to know it was all theirs once more.

Veetor was no different. But the _crowds…_

He felt his chest constrict and took a few steps back, breathing deeply.

_Steady Veetor,_ he thought, squeezing his eyes shut _what would Kal think?_

_Kal_…

He needed to see him.

Squaring his shoulders, he took slow, steady breaths, he could do this. For Kal, he could do anything. He started to walk, with purpose, when he heard his name being called.

"Veetor!"

He looked around, concentration momentarily lapsed. The voice called again. It was coming from the throng of exiting civilians. Next thing Veetor knew, he spotted Kal pushing his way through, against the crowd, to him.

Veetor's fears disappeared instantaneously and he let out a giggle of excitement that he just couldn't wrestle down.

Eventually Kal broke through the crowd and jogged over to him. His head-scarf and armour were different, a beige colour. Veetor missed his signature red.

The scarf was singed and tattered and the armour had seen better days, more than likely from the fighting but a quick scan with his eyes and Veetor was relieved to find he wasn't missing anything and there were no suit punctures or rips.

They stood before one another and stayed that way a while, Kal breathlessly taking Veetor in. he hadn't seen him in _months_ and had missed him something fierce.

"Hey," Kal said eloquently.

Veetor pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Kal… _We're home_" Veetor breathed shakily, held back emotions gushing forth. Kal smiled, hugging him back.

_Keelah_ his body felt perfect against Kal's.

"Yeah, we are."

They stayed that way for a long time, oblivious of all things going on around them as they just enjoyed each other's presence and their _togetherness_. People rushed past them but they stayed perfectly still.

Once the crowd had mostly died out, Kal spoke "Now," he said, pulling away (_Much to Veetor's unhappiness_) "would you like me to be the one who personally welcomes you to our home world first..?"

Veetor smiled and nodded gently, bouncing slightly as nerves tickled his belly.

They walked then, slowly together. As they exited the light from the mid-morning sun hit Veetor full on and he winced until his visor darkened accordingly.

He stopped walking. Stopped blinking, stopped moving, stopped breathing.

Kal looked over the horizon, the smile dancing in his eyes. He gave a small start as he felt Veetor unconsciously take Kal's hand in his own. He squeezed back; gently "welcome home, Veetor'Nara."

Kal heard a choked sound and Veetor took a small step forwards. He stepped on soil, _Quarian_ soil. He flexed his toes into the earth.

Kal watched him quietly and he stood for what felt like an age.

"I... It's Beautiful." He finally said.

"Yeah," Kal said with a grin "you got a better first impression then I did," Kal chuckled "when I got here it was dark and we were being shot at."

But Veetor wasn't listening, not properly, anyway. He took another step forward then, after looking like he was in thought, reached his hands up and pressed the pressure seals on either side of his visor.

The smoky purple arc of his visor lowered slowly and Veetor squinted in the light. Bare-faced, he stood on the ground of Rannoch, breathing the funny taste of unfiltered air.

Kal didn't dare intervene, he knew Veetor needed this. He turned to leave, to give Veetor a few minutes while he rested his legs when a strong grip and a sharp tug brought him back. Veetor cupped Kal's visor in his hands as their eyes locked.

Kal's breath hitched as his eyes traced the face that he'd only seen once or twice; soon he would be able to see it whenever he wanted. His belly lit pleasantly at the bashful expression and muttered apology for being so rough from Veetor.

The hands moved from where his cheeks would be up to where his visor pressure seals were. Veetor stared at him, his eyes large and asking. Kal hesitated before pushing Veetor's hands away and popping the pressure seals himself.

The mask hissed as he slid it off his face and he felt the slight breeze cooled his hot skin. Suddenly he felt an over-powering urge to kiss the Quarian in front of him. So he did, on lookers be damned. Wrapping his arms around him, Kal pulled him close.

Veetor kissed back meekly, reaching up and pressing his hands to Kal's face. When Kal pulled back Veetor let out an airy sigh. He muttered a quiet _Keelah_ and Kal pressed their foreheads together.

Veetor caught sight of something and jumped back.

"Geth!" he gasped urgently. Kal turned around and low and behold there was a Geth standing there watching them in a way that was almost curious.

"Gonna' take some getting used to, aren't they?" Kal smirked, putting his visor back on; he didn't want to push his immune system any more than he had during the fighting.

Veetor nodded absently, eyes still transfixed on the curious Geth. "Here," Kal smiled, stepping between Veetor and the geth. He took Veetor's visor and re-attached it. He glanced up at Kal then looked to the geth, then back to Kal.

Kal took his hand and started tugging him along. "C'mon Veetor, let's go get something to eat, I'm starvin'!" Veetor nodded and was dragged off to the camps that had been set up to the west.

Meanwhile that Geth stood there. It watched them go, connected by the hand. It raised its hands, blinking inquisitively as the geth locked them together.

Looking from the retreating figures of the two Quarians to its hands, then back to the Quarians it gave a distinctively organic shrug before turning to leave itself.

It would learn to understand the concept of Organic affection eventually.

-~-Fin-~-


End file.
